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Headlines 15 A BRAIN IN YOUR GUT? Did you know the gut is lined with more than 100 million neurons that, as well as performing digestive functions, communicate directly with the brain via the ‘gut-brain axis’? About Elodie Dr Elodie Kip is an assistant research fellow in the Department of Anatomy at the University of Otago. She has a Master’s degree in immunology and oncology and a PhD in neuroinflammation and virology. Through her travels, breaks from working in science and life experiences, she became interested in the impact of lifestyle and wellbeing on inflammation and healthy living. The focus of her current research is on preventing neuroinflammation via lifestyle and therapeutic compounds to slow down Parkinson’s disease. She works in the laboratory of Professor Louise Parr-Brownlie, who is internationally renowned for her Parkinson’s disease research. DIGITAL EVENT A brain in your gut? Join Dr Elodie Kip on Zoom Tuesday 8 August 7pm To register visit: bit.ly/44Zio1V knowledgeable in the disease, which complements my expertise in neuroinflammation. For both of us, studying dietary compounds is still new. We know that certain dietary interventions and probiotics have been shown to improve gut health and reduce inflammation. We are interested in whether improving gut health could potentially alleviate symptoms of neurological disorders such as PD via the gut-brain axis. To inform our research focus we reviewed more than 500 previous studies, including around 100 restricted to the impact of dietary and natural compounds in neurological disease. We are now beginning to test different dietary interventions in rat models. If our results prove promising, incorporating dietary compounds into the regimen of PD patients early in the disease could provide an easy and natural way to improve daily wellbeing, alleviate symptoms and hopefully delay disease progression. This study builds on my previous work – and fascination with – the role of inflammation in healthy living and especially the role of neuroinflammation in disease. Neuroinflammation is a complex process in which immune cells in the brain respond to various stimuli such as injury, infection, toxins, or other forms of stress. While some degree of neuroinflammation can be protective and help to clear harmful agents, chronic or excessive neuroinflammation can contribute to damage of brain cells and neural circuits. Chronic neuroinflammation is thought to contribute to the loss of neurons and other brain cells that are responsible for cognitive and motor functions. In addition, neuroinflammation has been linked to psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia. The bigger picture for me is understanding how lifestyle and wellbeing influence the development of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. There are no drugs that currently halt or reverse most neurodegenerative diseases, so prevention and/or early intervention is an important approach. What’s most exciting about this research is that everyone has the ability to take action to improve their health. While the causes of neuroinflammation may sometimes be outside of our control, there are steps we can all take to reduce our risk. Eating a nutritious diet, engaging in regular exercise, getting enough sleep and finding ways to manage stress are all beneficial to gut health and our brain. Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body. And protecting your head with a helmet during risky activities will mitigate the risk of inflammation caused by injury. Taking a proactive approach can prevent disease before it’s too late. I’m extremely grateful to my supervisor and mentor Louise, who saw the value in combining our skills and connecting PD with neuroinflammation. Through her guidance, I have gained invaluable knowledge in PD and how to approach research in general. The body and brain are interconnected, meaning that neglecting one’s physical health can have a negative impact on the brain, and vice-versa.